A man suspected to be a former member of the Islamist sect Boko Haram in northern Nigeria who is said to have sought refuge in northern Cameroon after renouncing the sect’s activities has been killed execution-style.

A hooded man aboard a motorcycle rode into a neighbourhood in the town of Kousseri where he shot Alhaji Abangana six times at close range on Saturday afternoon, according to reports.

Initial probes by security forces in Cameroon and Nigeria indicate that the murder could be linked to the sect.

According to one of the deceased’s wives, Abangana had fled Gambarougara in northern Nigeria where he had been repeatedly threatened by the sect members.

In Kousseri, where he had set up shop and obtained Cameroon nationality, Abangana continued to be visited by Boko Haram emissaries.

In a letter addressed to the Cameroonian police found at his home, the deceased said Boko Haram had continued to threaten him. Police say he may have been unable to send the letter due to the threats.

Sources say the murdered man may have had a lot of information about the operations of the group and could have been colluding with Nigerian security forces.

The town of Kousseri straddles the border with Nigeria and Chad. The border is porous and there have been fears in the last two years of infiltrations by Boko Haram members.

Locals have reported that leaflets propagating the group’s ideology have been circulating in Kousseri, and Christians in the area say they have sometimes been threatened with death.